Immutable Deploy

Definitions

1. A deployment model where servers are never updated in place — instead, a new machine image (AMI, Docker image) is built with the new code and replaces the old instances. Eliminates configuration drift, snowflake servers, and 'works on staging but not production' problems. The foundation of infrastructure-as-code.

   In plain English: Never modifying running servers — instead, creating brand new ones with the changes and replacing the old ones entirely.

   Example: "We never SSH into production to apply patches — every change creates a new container image. Immutable deploys mean every instance is identical."

Related Terms

• Webhook vs. Polling
• Event-Driven Architecture
• Canary Deployment
• model serving
• Sidecar
• Feature Toggle
• Production Environment
• Cloud Deployment